Ezekiel

 

Ezekiel Chapter 36

 

  • Ezekiel 36:1 Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD: 
  • 2 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession: 
  • 3 Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people: 

This is what the enemies of Israel are trying to do now. Pressure from the world wants them to give away their land to have peace but it is in vain. No matter how much they give away, peace will not come that way. The enemies of Israel do not want them even to exist. 

  • Ezekiel 36:4 Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about; 
  • 5 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey. 
  • 6 Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen: 
  • 7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame. 

In reading bible prophecy many times we can literally see into the heart of God. God hates sin especially within people who should know better. God brings judgment for sin visiting the judgment first upon the house of God and then upon the heathen but we see also that God does not like to see us gloat over the destruction or misfortune of other nations. 

When we observe God's judgment upon those that are our enemies or rivals, He sees our reaction.

Is it like these nations thinking, Aha they got what they deserved? 

This reaction displeases almighty God. When He sent judgment upon His people Israel, He still considered Israel as His people remembering His promise to Abraham. When He saw the reaction to this judgment by the nations surrounding Israel, that caused His anger to rise against them even more severely than Israel.

So what should our reaction be when we see nations destroyed by the judgment of God? 

First of all I think a mourning or compassion should be our reaction. A mourning that God had to judge in such a manner and a compassion upon those that lost homes, lives, families and other things. 

If that nation had an evil ruler like Adolph Hitler for instance, we can rejoice that the evil is brought to an end and persecution against God's people has been avenged but to rejoice over the loss of souls and lives would never please God.

Another reaction should be that we fear God lest the judgment for the same sins be visited upon us as individuals or as a nation. 

This type of awesome fear would bring us to repentance and into favor with God if we correct the error and seek the face of God. 

  • Ezekiel 36:8 But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come. 
  • 9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and
  • 10 And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be built: 

Here is the promise of the restoration of Israel to be even greater than ever before.This is partly fulfilled now but there is another time of trouble coming to bring them to Christ. After the time of Jacob's trouble that is to come when the Gentile nations try to wipe them out again, they will be restored a final time in which no one can ever harm them and take their land away again. 

They have already returned to some of the land God originally promised them but the time will come when all of it is restored. They are only in their land physically at this time but they need to be restored spiritually. The only way that can be done is for Israel as a nation to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ.

  • Ezekiel 36:11 And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 

This is already coming to pass. When God says something, nothing can stop it but the enemies of Israel will try to prevent the work of God. 

  • Ezekiel 36:12 Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men.
  • 13 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they say unto you, Thou land devourest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations; 
  • 14 Therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord GOD. 
  • 15 Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord GOD. 
  • 16 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
  • 17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. 
  • 18 Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: 
  • 19 And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. 
  • 20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land. 
  • 21 But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. 
  • 22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. 

God allowed all this evil to befall Israel because they profaned the name of God and served idols. God also judged the heathen who boasted against Israel and desired to take their land. 

Even today not all Israel serves the Lord. Many are still profaning the name of God. We are not to condone what they do but we are not to boast against them for the day is coming when they will turn to the Lord. 

God will restore Israel for His name's sake. His word concerning them will surely come to pass. They sinned yes, but they will be cleansed from that sin when they turn to the Lord. 

  • Zechariah 13:1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. 
  • 2 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.

Most of Israel do not understand this as yet but that fountain is the blood of Jesus which is the only way to be cleansed from sin and inherit the salvation of God. 

  • Daniel 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. 

The more we want to know the will of God and understand God's word, we will understand. If anyone asks wisdom, he can ask of God and God will give them wisdom but we must ask with faith and with the motive that we will receive what God gives us.

  • Ezekiel 36:23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. 
  • 24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

This is only fulfilled in a small portion. The latter day gathering of Israel under Jesus Christ will fulfill this completely. 

  • Ezekiel 36:25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 
  • 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. 
  • 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 

We must rejoice for this prophecy is the salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and the baptism of the Holy Ghost that believers in Jesus receive. 

This was fulfilled in part on the day of Pentecost when a remnant was baptized in the Holy Ghost. The Gentiles also received this outpouring recorded in the book of Acts and then later during the late 19th and early 20th century. This will be completely fulfilled during the latter day tribulation period which mainly concerns bringing Israel back to God and bringing judgment upon the enemies of Israel. 

  • Ezekiel 36:28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. 

This day is not here yet but it is coming. Imagine being called the God's people and God wanting to be our God. Only lack of faith in Jesus Christ hinders that from happening to Jew or Gentile. Jesus is the bridge back to God. 

  • Ezekiel 36:29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. 

Notice that as with the Gentile church it is the same with Israel. We must be cleansed from sin to inherit the salvation of God and eternal life through Jesus Christ. 

  • Ezekiel 36:30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. 
  • 31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.

This is the only true way to get right with God. We have to acknowledge our sin and turn away from it along with our faith in Jesus Christ. Our faith in Christ allows us to have trust in Him and believe Him for salvation. Since He died for our sins we must be willing to forsake those sins in order to benefit from the sacrifice He made for sin. 

He doesn't save from sin for us to willingly and knowingly return to sin expecting to be saved. We must be genuinely sorry enough to turn away from them. 

  • Ezekiel 36:32 Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. 

God never once excuses Israel's sin but only asks that they forsake the sin and live in righteousness. 

  • Ezekiel 36:33 Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be built.
  • 34 And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. 

This is why Israel still has trouble to this day because they have not yet been cleansed from sin. To be cleansed they must recognize the one that does the cleansing. This is the one God sent to cleanse them from sin.

  • Matthew 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 
  • 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 

Repentance and cleansing from sin is part of the gospel. We can't preach Christ without repentance and a willingness to forsake sin.

  • Ezekiel 36:35 And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. 
  • 36 Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it. 

All the restoration of Israel materially and spiritually will be a testimony to the rest of the world. 

  • Ezkiele 36:37 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock. 
  • 38 As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD. 

Israel's spiritual restoration will affect them in all other areas. 

Sometimes the church has made the mistake of using the blessing promised to Israel to teach the latter day prosperity doctrine. This is a serious error. God blesses a nation that observes Him and receives His word. That in turn will cause material blessings as well as spiritual but that doesn't mean that everyone will get rich and there will be no poor. When Jesus comes to set up His kingdom, there will be material blessings but it is no guarantee now.

While it is true that God cares for those that give in a biblical manner. We are not to give however, in order to receive or achieve wealth. We are to give out of compassion and with a cheerful heart. 

We should not expect to get rich and profit for our giving. Our reward should be the joy of helping spread the word of God and support local pastors who feed the flock on a regular basis. Except for missionaries and those that labor in other lands, I would be careful about sending money to any organization we haven't verified as legitimate. Be led by the Holy Spirit. 

We are not promised riches in this life. In fact there are some that lose their jobs and homes because of their faith in Christ. There are those that are persecuted and have to leave everything behind when they flee persecution. 

Jesus said not to lay up treasures here on earth. The faithful in Christ will inherit what Israel inherits but it will be when Jesus returns to rule and reign on the earth. The material blessings are promised to Israel if they live the way God wants them to live. As Gentile Christians we may do well materially but we may not. We may lose everything for the cause of Christ. In that case our reward will be when He comes again. We have no guarantees in this life but the spiritual blessings and the ever presence of God is our constant reward and we will receive all other things at His coming. 

Ezekiel Chapter 37

Ezekiel Index

 
  HOME | SITE MAP | BIBLE STUDY INDEX
Email
©2024 oldpathlighthouse.com